Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Mel Gibson on evolution, women, and political conspiracy theory

This is from a Mel Gibson interview with Playboy magazine in the July 1995 issue. I haven't verified it myself, though I've found consistent excerpts (though they could all have an identical bogus source). The positions taken are quite plausibly attributed to Gibson, though I'm surprised at his foul mouth.

On evolution:
PLAYBOY: Do you believe in Darwin's theory of evolution or that God created man in his image?

GIBSON: The latter.

PLAYBOY: So you can't accept that we descended from monkeys and apes?

GIBSON: No, I think it's bullshit. If it isn't, why are they still around? How come apes aren't people yet? It's a nice theory, but I can't swallow it. There's a big credibility gap. The carbon dating thing that tells you how long something's been around, how accurate is that, really? I've got one of Darwin's books at home and some of that stuff is pretty damn funny. Some of his stuff is true, like that the giraffe has a long neck so it can reach the leaves. But I just don't think you can swallow the whole piece.
Why does anyone think his first point is a good argument against evolution? I've never heard anyone argue that Italian-Americans couldn't have come from Italy because there are still Italians there.

And I wonder what book by Darwin he has.

On assorted moral issues:
PLAYBOY: We take it that you're not particularly broad-minded when it comes to issues such as celibacy, abortion, birth control.

GIBSON: People always focus on stuff like that. Those aren't issues. Those
are unquestionable. You don't even argue those points.

PLAYBOY: You don't?

GIBSON: No.
On women:
PLAYBOY: What about allowing women to be priests?

GIBSON: No.

PLAYBOY: Why not?

GIBSON: I'll get kicked around for saying it, but men and women are just different. They're not equal. The same way that you and I are not equal.

PLAYBOY: That's true. You have more money.

GIBSON: You might be more intelligent, or you might have a bigger dick. Whatever it is, nobody's equal. And men and women are not equal. I have tremendous respect for women. I love them. I don't know why they want to step down. Women in my family are the center of things. And good things emanate from them. The guys usually mess up.

PLAYBOY: That's quite a generalization.

GIBSON: Women are just different. Their sensibilities are different.

PLAYBOY: Any examples?

GIBSON: I had a female business partner once. Didn't work.

PLAYBOY: Why not?

GIBSON: She was a cunt.

PLAYBOY: And the feminists dare to put you down!

GIBSON: Feminists don't like me, and I don't like them. I don't get their point. I don't know why feminists have it out for me, but that's their problem, not mine.
Interesting that he thinks a woman being a priest would be "a step down." From many occupations, I'd agree.

Gibson on political conspiracy theory:
PLAYBOY: How do you feel about Bill Clinton?

GIBSON: He's a low-level opportunist. Somebody's telling him what to do.

PLAYBOY: Who?

GIBSON: The guy who's in charge isn't going to be the front man, ever. If I were going to be calling the shots I wouldn't make an appearance. Would you? You'd end up losing your head. It happens all the time. All those monarchs. If he's the leader, he's getting shafted. What's keeping him in there? Why would you stay for that kind of abuse? Except that he has to stay for some reason. He was meant to be the president 30 years ago, if you ask me.

PLAYBOY: He was just 18 then.

GIBSON: Somebody knew then that he would be president now.

PLAYBOY: You really believe that?

GIBSON: I really believe that. He was a Rhodes scholar, right? Just like Bob Hawke. Do you know what a Rhodes scholar is? Cecil Rhodes established the Rhodes scholarship for those young men and women who want to strive for a new world order. Have you heard that before? George Bush? CIA? Really, it's Marxism, but it just doesn't want to call itself that. Karl had the right idea, but he was too forward about saying what it was. Get power but don't admit to it. Do it by stealth. There's a whole trend of Rhodes scholars who will be politicians around the world.

PLAYBOY: This certainly sounds like a paranoid sense of world history. You must be quite an assassination buff.

GIBSON: Oh, fuck. A lot of those guys pulled a boner. There's something to do with the Federal Reserve that Lincoln did, Kennedy did and Reagan tried. I can't remember what it was, my dad told me about it. Everyone who did this particular thing that would have fixed the economy got undone. Anyway, I'll end up dead if I keep talking shit.


(Note added 30 December: I've heard from several people who have now verified the accuracy of these quotations.)

10 comments:

Einzige said...

So, Karl had "the right idea" (whatever that is) and Lincoln did something "with the Federal Reserve"?

Damn! I'm sorry I ever liked any of this guy's movies.

Jonathan Rowe said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jonathan Rowe said...

Mel's potty mouth doesn't bother me. Though, you have to wonder what some of those fundies who now love this good "Christian man" think of him saying things like "[Y]ou might have a bigger dick" or "She was a cunt."

Einzige said...

Black Arts Diary makes a good suggestion that, since there is some question as to the veracity of these quotes, someone should purchase the relevant issue from, for example, here. Normally I'd be more than happy to indulge in some porn, especially when there's a "higher" purpose involved, but it'll have to wait until next week, when I get paid, as I am strapped at the moment.

Jett Loe said...

if this is how he talked to a reporter for playboy how do you think he talks when he's at home with the wife and kids...?

Jonathan Rowe said...

I think I might have to do a post on this. I have the issue in my hands (long story short -- my older brothers Playboy collection happens to be archived at my house) and those quotes are 100% accurate. But just skimming the interview, there's more, much more....

Einzige said...

Yeah, I s'pose... I'm just sorry about it, is all...

Unknown said...

Go ahead and remove this post at the end, but I dont agree with the Playboy interview. I'm not choosing sides. I do think Mel has some problems, but I also definitely believe that the editor of this blog added some quotes Gibson apparently said. Reply to me, blogger. Is this true? If you say it is, I'll try to do some email to Mr. Gibson about this to make sure. Nobody likes rumors. Go ahead and contact me. jonathan.rossen@okbu.edu

Lippard said...

"I also definitely believe that the editor of this blog added some quotes Gibson apparently said."

No, Jonathan, I didn't add any quotes to what I found at the source I cited.

Einzige said...

Out of curiousity, Jonathan, what are you smoking?